QUALITY
Satisfactory and as described
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says goods must be of satisfactory quality and match their description. Quality includes appearance and finish, freedom from minor defects, safety and durability.
See the numbers
FOR MAKERS WHO SELL
Make it, sell it,
know the rules.
Selling your own work is still selling.
Once you sell as a business, buyers have legal rights: goods must be of satisfactory quality and as described, and most online buyers can cancel within 14 days. Custom-made pieces are treated differently. This independent guide sets out what the official pages say.
14 DAYS to cancel most online orders
Check an item- Describe it honestly
- Know which sales can be cancelled
- Never say no refunds
- Clear listings, fewer disputes
THE SHORT ANSWER
Quality, description,
and the right to cancel.
Three ideas cover most questions.
All three come from GOV.UK and the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
CUSTOM WORK
Made to order is different
GOV.UK says personalised or custom-made items only have to be refunded if they are faulty. The cancellation regulations exclude goods made to the buyer's specifications or clearly personalised.
Check an item
IN PERSON
Fairs and stalls
For items bought in person, GOV.UK says you do not have to refund someone who no longer wants an item, unless they bought it without seeing it. Faulty goods are another matter.
Four habits
FOUR HABITS FOR SELLERS
Fewer disputes,
happier buyers.
None of these is legal advice. They are the practical points the GOV.UK pages keep coming back to, put in maker's terms.
Describe it as it is
Size, materials, colour and any quirks of handmade work. What you say about the goods becomes part of the contract.
Say who you are
Before an online order, give your business name, contact details, price including taxes, delivery costs and how to cancel.
Mark custom work clearly
Make it plain when an item is made to the buyer's specification or personalised, because the cancellation right does not cover it.
Drop the 'no refunds' sign
GOV.UK says it is illegal to mislead buyers about their rights, for example with a sign saying you do not offer refunds.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Two deadlines and
one allowance.
One number for online buyers,
one for makers starting out.
14 days
Days an online buyer has to cancel
Counted from delivery. If the seller never tells the buyer about this right, GOV.UK says the buyer can cancel at any time in the next 12 months.
CANCELLING · GOV.UK
£1,000
Tax-free trading income each tax year
HMRC's trading allowance covers gross trading income of up to £1,000 a year. Above that, GOV.UK says you must register for Self Assessment.
TRADING ALLOWANCE · HMRC
GOV.UK also says customers have up to 6 years to make a claim about an item they bought (5 years in Scotland), and that warranties do not replace these rights.
A QUICK ITEM CHECK
Can the buyer
change their mind?
Pick a kind of sale to see whether a no-reason refund usually applies. The bar shows how strongly the change-of-mind rules apply; faulty goods have to be put right in every case.
Based on GOV.UK guidance for businesses and the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. General information only, not legal advice.
WHEN A HOBBY BECOMES A BUSINESS
The £1,000
trading allowance.
HMRC's trading allowance means that if your gross trading income in a tax year is £1,000 or less, you may not need to tell HMRC, though there are cases when you still must register. You need to keep records either way.
Above £1,000, GOV.UK says to register for Self Assessment, and you can choose between deducting the allowance or your actual expenses. Check HMRC's own page for your situation; this site does not give tax advice.
Questions
Questions people ask
Do I have to give refunds on handmade items?
If an item is faulty, not as described or does not do what it should, GOV.UK says you must offer a full refund. Whether a buyer can return an item just because they changed their mind depends on how and what they bought.
Can an online buyer return a print they simply don't like?
Usually yes. GOV.UK says online, mail and phone buyers can cancel within 14 days of receiving the item, then have 14 more days to return it, and must be refunded within 14 days of the item coming back.
What about commissions and personalised gifts?
The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 exclude goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalised from the cancellation right. They must still be of satisfactory quality and as described.
Who pays the postage on a cancelled order?
GOV.UK says you must refund standard delivery if the customer paid for it; if they chose a more expensive option, you only need to refund the standard delivery cost.
Can I put 'no returns' on my stall?
No. GOV.UK says it is illegal to restrict or take away customers' rights or mislead them about their rights, giving a sign saying you do not accept returns as an example.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Accepting returns and giving refunds, the law
- GOV.UK: Online and distance selling for businesses
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (satisfactory quality)
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (short-term right to reject)
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28
- GOV.UK (HMRC): Tax-free allowances on property and trading income
Updated